What will your first game be and why?
 

In my first game, I will play as Abysia Middle Era vs. a single AI Mictlan on a moderate to large size map. I choose Middle Era because the races should be closest to the Dom2 races in this era. That will make for a better testing ground. The difficulty will be normal, since I want to test the AI on equal terms. My other reasons are as follows:

1) Mictlan was probably played the worst by the AI of all the nations in Dom2, so this will give me a good way to test if the AI has improved very much. If the AI can give me a good game as Mictlan, then I will be very surprised and pleased.

2) I choose to play Abysia, because I want to see how blood magic and blood hunting has changed in Dom3. The micro was supposed to be reduced, and the micro was probably at its worst with the blood nations. Therefore, I should be able to see if there has been any improvement in this high micro area. If there is, it should bode well for micro in other areas as well.

3) I like blood magic, but I feel some of the blood summons (like Devils) are a little overpowered. Also, I thought some of the blood spells in Dom2 were almost useless and I never used them. It will be interesting to see if these issues have been addressed. Also, I can't wait to see if there are any cool new blood summons. I would love to see some Devil Lords, for example http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/evil.gif

Your turn!

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

I'm going to take a completely different stance. I intend to dive right in there and try to take in all the new additions as quickly as I can. I can't wait to try out the new races and figure out how to play them. I can't really give more details because I don't know what all the new nations will be, but I guarantee it'll be crazy. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

I'll propably incoherently race through random nations.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

I'll let the RNG decide.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

I'll try Pythium in all ages, simply because it's my favorite nation and I want to know if it will remain that way.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Ulm, small map, 4 AIs. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif
After that the new races.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Ulm, middle-age in a mid-sized map with a medium number of nations with normal (i.e. medium) AI.

Why? First, because Ulm was the nation I played the most in DomII - it was easy for newbies like me (for example setting up the scales was a no-brainer). But mainly, because I want to see if in a *magic setting* the "rebalance for supply and incomes" allows for a conventional-type army to have a long-term usefulness and actually defeat, or, in the least, to cause a non-negligible dent in magical armies - in middle-to-late games, magics dominate and conventional and national troops are next to useless.

Another of my gripes was, that if you were fighting against some undead nation (e.g. Ermor), their death scales would lay waste to provinces in such a manner that regrowth was not possible, IOW, a fight between, let us say, Man and Ermor, was highly unbalanced because Life didn't have the means to counter Death. Same comments for Good vs. Evil where there is a whole school of evil magic (Blood with the possible addition of Death) but the few Good summons (Harbingers and Angels) were actually not that good. So a *second* game would probably be a Man vs. some Blood and/or Death nations to see if the new Uber-angels and the Good can finally kick some Evil ***.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Small maps and I think I will start with the Japanese race just because the culture is interesting to me.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Jomon are that Japanese race. Expect to kill enemy commanders with ninjas and use Daimiyos to lead your samurai armies. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

They are late era btw.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

No sure how much I can say here, but I'm fairly sure you'll be impressed.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Just one thing - you might want to play as Marignon instead of Man. It should be easier to test out the angel-themed summons with them.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Wait, what? You mean there will be summons that use holy power? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

I never said that. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Marignon is better at summoning angel-themed beings than Man. I wonder how many ways that can be interpreted!

However, even if (some) priests can summon units, it's not this kind of summoning. You might remember that all priestly power is now holy - to the nation using it, at least. It was mentioned back in one of the Dev Diaries almost two years back IIRC. There are still reanimating nations, but their priests are just like all the others. Or at least pretty close.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Heh, my interpretation was, indeed, overly optimistic and not entirely serious. Where does this info come from, though? Was it in the dev logs or are you a beta tester or what? If you're a beta tester, are you forbidden from revealing more or just choosing not to?

That's interesting. What's happened to the nation-specific undead spells, then? They simply use normal holy power but are restricted to certain nations?

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Pythium is another nation that can summon angels. I prefer them when I go for that strategy. Btw. Angels KICK A..! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

24th oct
* Version 2.57
23rd oct
* Angels nation restricted.

I am a beta-tester, but to tell the truth, I'm surprised no one analyzed the progress log that well. If angels are nation-restricted, Marignon HAS to be one of the nations that still can summon them. Also, from the dev diaries:

"Another topic is the Angels. I like Angels, more than Devils actually, but I never really liked the Angels in Dominions. They are ugly, they are friendly and they don't
sing. Devils are way cooler, and that is bad. Bad to the bone. Angels rule, or should rule. Impossible to behold they mete out the justice of the Lord or praise Him with their otherworldly hymns. So now the Angels have new sprites that I like. I have the harbinger as my new forum avatar. Seems appropriate. Now they have to be revamped to be on par with Arch Devils. There is also a new angelic being to match the Demon Lords. Feels good."



I'll mention one more thing that I experienced myself. I browsed through the units, and found a huge, unfamiliar creature with many pairs of wings. The face and legs of this figure were covered by its wings. I won't mention its name not to frighten anyone unfamiliar with the etymology of Caelumian names. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif I read its description. It mentioned many things, including that seeing its face would (blind/kill/harm) any unworthy being. I don't remember the exact wording any more, but I remember thinking that it was cool. And then I realized that in the battle, I would see its face. And for the slightest moment, I was worried.

The angels in Dom3 will be just fine...

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

I've only been on the forums for a while and wading through the whole progress log seemed kind of daunting, especially since the game is coming out soon enough anyway. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Thanks a lot for elaborating, the angels sound very interesting.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

I've read through *All* of the progress log several times, mostly out of boredom. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

This was in the start of summer though.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

The traditional atul method of First Game:

1) Apply for upcoming MP, preferably way before the game shipment has arrived.
2) Choose a nation you know nothing of just based on a hunch.
3) Create god, test for the first 10 turns, play MP, learn as you go, thrive until more than half of the remaining players gang up on you, go down in a blaze of glory.

Worked with Dom1 (Marignon, paladins are cool) and Dom2 (TC S&A, if you love them you can't be totally evil), so there's no reason for it not working the third time also.

Practice is for the weak. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

As will I. How exciting! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

I'll try out LE Atlantis if possible.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Ashen Ermor because they've always been my favorite theme because of how unique their mechanics are from everyone else.

Then early R'lyeh because I think they're the Aboleth theme, which should be awesome. Mind control everywhere!

Then Abyssia middle era because they were the first race I ever played in the Dominions 2 demo, and blood summons are fun. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

I'll play the late age japanese nation (Jomon?) because I like their theme, I would like to ease into playing with extended magic (I have only played the demos so far).

Then maybe the one-eyed people, also late age (mostly because they have an Olm!).

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

I will quickly create my favorite gods for Pangaea and Oceania (water pangaea).

Then I will create a god for Mictlan in case someone talks me into a multiplayer game. Only because I totally love the idea of having a giant flying assassin god that can summon demons to help with the assassinations.

Then I will start it generating maps and more maps and more maps and then some strange maps

Gandalf Parker
--
In Dominions, if it looks like a killer strategy
then look at it again carefully.
In Dominions, if it looks like a total waste
then look at it again carefully.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Or Agarta. I want to play around with the Olm. I'll name him (her?) either "The Coiling" or "Gebirgskönig".

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

You really should name it Mikko Alkio if you want to be hip.

(The link is in Finnish only.)

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

RNG in the sense of rolling dice? Or in the sense that there's finally a "choose random AIs for game" option? (Preferably with checkmarks to disallow nations, so newbies can avoid Ermor and the like, and others can avoid nations that tend to use abusive cheats (ie : targetting the human player when they can't even see him)).

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Now any AI or human player slot can be set to pick a random nation not already picked by another player slot.

EDIT: Did I mention cumulative VPs? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif Thanks for the tip. Or maybe "PERKELEEN PUNIKKI SOSIALISTI". http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Cumulative VPs a la the King of the Hill scenario? Awesome! Many thanks Illwinter!

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Cumulative VPs?

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Yep. You chose a number of victory locations (capitals might be chosen) and a number of needed points to win. Every midsummer you get one point for each victory location you currently own.

This way games can't go on forever, and you need to fight over those victory locations people have captured. And the sooner you take them the better.

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Sounds neat.

Oh, and "every midsummer"... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: What will your first game be and why?
 

Very nice. I guess this MP mode will be very popular. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif